* A child is required to check a book out of the library. Whoever is in charge should be able to relate book to child and discern whether the book is appropriate or not. Books that serve less educational purpose than (insert other here) purpose should be removed, though. After all, it is a school. ** Most school's computers have a block of sorts. While it's not uncommon for these blocks to be passed, they are present regardless. Again, someone in charge should be able to see what's going on and keep the child from reading Bob's DP: You and Me.
Once again you have a point but you don't have to check a book out of the library to read it. You can be in the library for a class, find it and read it for the period and just put it back. Also, even the really bad books can teach you something. Yeah, forgot about the blocks, but there are many ways around them. And a teacher can't always watch over people, so people can look at whatever they want. Basically what I'm saying is a child can learn anything from the internet from their house or from a friends. If they can learn it all from the internet, why ban books out of schools. They will still learn about whatever it is they want to learn about.
Well, a crack addict will get crack, if he really wants it. However, wouldn't you feel it best not to dangle it in front of his face without consequence?
Well if he will get it eventually, I'd rather give it to him so he doesn't end up mugging someone for it or robbing somewhere for it, and then he will die and we won't have to worry about him (wow I have no heart.)
Rather, as a parent, would you feel comfortable knowing that your child could view pornographic material at his school? The caliber of books to be banned is debatable, but to debate whether or not there are books worthy of removal is ludicrous. Certainly, beyond the shadow of a doubt, there are books that should not be in a public school.
But that would mean you couldn't teach a sex ed class in school if you couldn't have a pornographic book at school. As a parent, I would simply tell his/her teachers and librarian that he/she is not allowed in the library and will do alternate assignments. PS: Keep it coming, I'm actually enjoying this and this will be great for my speech and maybe you will sway my opinion.
Your first point depends on what school you are in. Any websiste at my school not categorized under the realm of "education" is usually blocked. If that is not the case at a certain school, then the blocker needs to be tightened up. Your second point is true. The teacher cannot always look over each students shoulder, which is why (as drum suggested) schools should take a somewhat proactive approach to selecting books. Books with certain types of offensive content (really violent, lewd ones) should be banned from schools with younger children. However, once those kids reach the high school level, they should be able to determine for themselves what to read. Still, that is not to say that such kids ought to be able to read lewd content. It's just that whatever restrictions that were placed on them earlier ought to be lifted for the most part. If the school assigns a book to read that may be objectionable to one student, then a letter of consent should be sent to each family so the parents can approve it for their kid. To prevent kids from reading such books at the school library, then the parents of the school ought to notify the teachers so they can keep an eye on that student.
Blocks usually involve the use of keywords or the administrator to go through websites and put a block on them. It is very easy to miss it or a new proxy will show up and they won't know about it but it usually gets blocked, but kids could always get on thei internet at home. Personally, I think they should just make it so at the beginning of every year, You have to sign a permission slip to use the library and they will keep it on records. If you don't get it signed, a teacher will give you something else to do. Teachers will be able to check to make sure their class has the slips signed and if there is someone who doesn't, she can give them something else to do. For students stopping by, the librarian can look up the signed list really fast in the records. This would solve the problems without banning books. Parents who don't like the books will just not sign the permission slip.
I've read a lot of them as well and even though they have bad material, they still teach you stuff and are a good read.
My school's blocker categorizes the links, and anything uncategorized is blocked. (Is that what you were saying?) Also, the computers block all proxys, so you can't get through that way.
I'm not sure. Can you get on to youtube at your school because they left that open for educational purposes at our school. Also, we can use some proxies, although they get blocked once a new one gets found. Sort of sucks. No forgehub at school.
No, I can't get on YouTube. The only non-educational sites that I have been able to get on are a couple travel sites (for mock trip projects). And I think all proxies are not allowed, because one guy at my school was actually going to make a proxy, but he couldn't put it in because of the blocker. (something like that)
You guys definately have a different blocker than us because I just looked up how our school does it and the administrator has to sift through every site they don't want, or put in keywords like videogames and block the sites related to those. But we can use proxies, they usually get blocked after a while but the teachers even tell us them when they block a site we need.
I think my school puts in those keyword in the blockers, and then makes exceptions for certain websites. Even some sites that I thought I could get into were blocked because the keywords cover a lot of stuff. Your school's blocker is not as strict, I think.
Yeah I don't think it is either. Wow we got off topic. I forget where we were though. Oh well. I can use some of this for my speech and thanks for actually having an intelligent debate. Any other thoughts?
I don't classify Sex-Ed as pornography. Sure, in showing STDs and that business, there is nudity. As none of that is exactly "pleasureful" to those viewing, I would say that it's more educational. Also, I don't believe you can tell the school to keep your child out of the library. Which of ours is the more oppressive?? **Have the school remove crude books that might be offensive or of too mature nature for children **Remove one child's right to enter the library at all, subsequently taking his/her right to read, learn, and grow as a student. Certainly! I enjoy a fruitful debate, and you chose a rare topic. It's all in good sport; so, if I sound like a douche, it's because I am a douche. However, I try to suppress it. <("<)
He/she doesn't have to read those books. I'll even venture to say that 95% of the high school population, GASP, doesn't read! If they are offended by Twain's use of n****r then don't read it, but don't ban the book because it is racially offensive to everyone (The book itself isn't racially motivated to degrade blacks; it was too show the culture of the time and, in Twain's opinion, the backwardness of it).
Of course, and I'm not saying that any Classic should be removed. I do believe, however, that there should be limitations as to what age groups read what books. It doesn't seem too difficult for school employees to, at least, attempt this. Also, I say that books should be able to be banned because there are definitely books out there that are non-educational - books that serve no purpose but to celebrate immorality or something of the sort. Parents should have some form of comfort in knowing that their child can't go to school and check out the latest issue of Hustler. (I know it's a magazine. Say something about it, and I'll stab you.)
Thats why there are private schools. People can go there if they find some books too offensive in a public school library, but you shouldn't take away a book that is offensive to one person and not offensive to the other 2000 kids at the school. Now this is off topic but movies are really wierd. I get to watch a woman giving birth in bio next week. should be fun.